Just adding to its resume

It's becoming increasingly difficult not to be impressed (or downright spooked) with the prediction engine behind Microsoft's Bing browser. For its latest feat, Bing successfully predicted most of the top winners for the 2015 Oscars, correctly identifying 20 of the 24 results for an 84 percent success rate. That alone is impressive, though it's just another notch in Bing's belt when it comes to predicting outcomes.

No credits required for this Bing Reward

Microsoft is giving away (or lending, if you prefer to view it that way) 100GB of OneDrive cloud storage for two years when you sign up for for Bing Rewards, a free program that rewards you for using Bing (imagine that!). And if you're already a Bing Rewards member, you're eligible as well. There are no points required to cash in on this deal, you just have to stake your claim by February 28, 2015.

Search is still Google's primary cash cow

Let's get one thing straight -- most businesses would happily switch places with Google based on the financial figures alone. The sultan of search pulled in $66 billion in revenue for all of 2014, up 19 percent year-on-year. That's thanks in part to a strong finish, with Google reporting consolidated revenues of $18.10 billion for the quarter ended December 31, 2014, a jump of 15 percent compared to the same quarter a year prior. Google's profit in the fourth quarter alone came to $4.76 billion, up from $3.38 billion in the fourth quarter of 2013, so why are some investors nervous?

Yahoo recently replaced Google as the default search provider for Firefox in the U.S.

In November, Yahoo and Mozilla reached an understanding to make Yahoo Search the default search provider for the latter’s Firefox browser in the United States and the results are already out there for all to see. According to the latest U.S. search data from web analytics provider Statcounter, December saw Bing-powered Yahoo Search finish with 10.4 percent share of the U.S. search market, a significant increase from the 8.4 percent share it held at the start of the month.

Google's latest transparency report has a new look

Don't be surprised if Google's new Transparency Report for the June through December period in 2013 looks different to you, that's by design. The search giant explains in a blog post that after doing things the same way for nearly five years, it was time to give its Transparency Report an update. In addition to a new look, there are also some new features that are intended to make the information more meaningful.

Mozilla chooses the less obtrusive path

It's the end of the Google era at Mozilla. Firefox 34 is available to download today, and with it comes Yahoo as the new default search partner in the U.S. However, don't fret if you're not cool with the change -- Mozilla isn't forcing Yahoo down anyone's throat. If you're content with whichever search engine is currently your default, Firefox will courteously leave it alone, so there's no need to make any changes following today's update.

A casualty of the Internet

Microsoft just shut down its Clip Art library, and going forward, the company suggests using Bing's image search functionality instead. No problem, most people have already made the transition to web-based image searches when they're in need of a graphic or photographic, just not everyone has been using Bing to hunt down images. In an initial draft of the blog post announcing the change, Microsoft was blunt in saying that usage of the image library in Office has seen a steady decline as users turn towards search engines.

Google will become an alternative choice in Firefox, as will DuckDuckGo

There are few things you can count on in life -- death, taxes, and blowhard analysts incorrectly proclaiming the death of the PC. A year ago, we would have added another entry, one that says Google will be the default search in Firefox until the end of time. No one would question it because the two have been so close for so long, but anything can happen when a contract comes up for renewal. And what happened this time is Mozilla chose Yahoo to replace Google as its default search provider for the next five years.

New video search site points you in the direction of legal feeds

The six member studios of the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) have put together a new website that makes it easy to search for legal streaming sources for TV shows and movies. It's called Where to Watch and it's currently in beta form. It also works rather well for what it's intended to be, which you'll have to excuse us if we seem surprised -- Hollywood studios haven't exactly been streaming's biggest ally.

Google changed its search page fonts

Google should have taken a page from The Outer Limits and told anyone with an Internet connection, "There is nothing wrong with your monitor. Do not attempt to adjust the picture. We are controlling the transmission. If we wish to change the font, we will change the font." And that's exactly what Google did -- the sultan of search changed its search page fonts, in part to accommodate an easier way of identifying ad-supported links.